Poe-tober 2019 Report
Poe-tober wasn't as jam-packed with creepy media and events as I would've liked (unless you count the horror story taking place across the river in DC), but I still want to report on my efforts. Books: Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) - 2*Haunting of Hill House (Shirley...
October Reading Wrap-Up
October goal: I'm setting a goal of 5 books for this month, plus so many other things that go bump in the night. Later this week, I'll post my Poe-tober report. What I read: (Link to my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge A Perilous Undertaking(Veronica...
Friday Reads #23
(Oops - this was supposed to post Friday, Nov. 1) Next week, look for October's wrap-up and my report on Poe-tober. Finished: 25 Icelandic Ghost Stories—Jón R. Hjálmarsson—2* (Oct 31) I bought this book on a trip to Iceland. The people there are really into ghosts and...
Friday Reads #22
Finished: Frankenstein—Mary Shelley—2* (Oct 23) The story of Frankenstein has become a common cultural reference, but I'd never read the source material. Still, I had high hopes for creepiness. Instead, the scariest part of the book was how it took so long to read 108...
Friday Reads #21
Finished: A Perilous Undertaking(Veronica Speedwell #2) — Deanna Raybourn — 3.75* (Oct 9) I loved the first book in this series so much that the second installment was destined to fall short of my expectations. The story was still very enjoyable and the main...
Friday Reads #20
Finished: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told — Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman—3.5* (Sept 15) (This book was a September read but I finished it after I completed my last Friday Reads post so here’s the review) This is the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to...
September Reading Wrap-Up
September goal: I'm setting a goal of 3 books for September—and planning for Poe-tober! What I read: (Link to my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald 4.5* (Sept 1)Review A Curious Beginning – Deanna Raybourn 4.75* (Sept...
Friday Reads #19
Finished: A Curious Beginning – Deanna Raybourn 4.75* (Sept 9) Sometimes impulse buys work out, sometimes they don't. In this case, beautiful cover art, enthusiastic reviews, and the price (<$1) paid off many times over.Veronica Speedwell is a fascinating...
Friday Reads #18
Finished: (Don't) Call Me Crazy – Kelly Jensen –3* (Aug 30) (This is actually an August book, but I finished it after I completed my last Friday Reads post) I bought this on impulse and I’m not sure what I was expecting. It was a worthwhile read if only to extend my...
August Reading Wrap-Up
August goal: I've finished a book I started in late July, so I'm going to set a goal of 3 total. I want one of those to be some sort of collection/anthology. I still have a lot of editing to finish over the next couple of weeks so I don't want to be too ambitious....
Friday Reads #17
Finished: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton - 3.5* (Aug 29) "Gosford Park" meets "Groundhog Day" by way of Agatha Christie – the most inventive story you'll read this year. I’m not entirely sure how to rate this book. I have such mixed feelings about...
Friday Reads #16
Finished: Nada. Unless you want to count the 105k-word novel I finished editing, which I do since I've read it 3 times (and will be reading it again once the author goes through my edits). 9/3 Update: I realized I DID finish a short book this week and somehow...
Friday Reads #15
Finished: She's Not There – PJ Parrish – 2.5* (Aug 2) Entertaining but not life-changing. The mystery was interesting but nothing felt very original. Buchanon was a great character among a cast of many who weren't particularly compelling. I enjoyed reading it, but...
July Reading Wrap-Up
July goal: I'm about 50% through June's short story collection and I have a couple of long solo flights coming up so I'm shooting for 5 books in July. Wow, did I ever go about that the wrong way! I read exactly 5 pages on my flights. What I read: (Link to my Goodreads...
Friday Reads #14
Finished: The Doll – Daphne du Maurier - 4* (July 20) I feel like a broken record when it comes to short stories, but this collection was less uneven than some others I've read. A few of the stories were misses for me, including the title story, "The Doll." But some...
June Reading Wrap-Up
June goal: For June, I'll set another goal of 4 books. What I read: (Link to my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge) About Grace Anthony Doerr 3.5* (June 9)Review Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng4.5* (June 19)Review Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Gail...
Friday Reads #13
Finished: Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng - 4.5* (June 19) Strong 4.5. Beautifully written, complex characters and stories. The ending left me wanting a bit more, otherwise it would’ve been 5. While I didn't always agree with the characters' actions, I feel that...
Friday Reads #12
Finished: About Grace - Anthony Doerr - 3.5* (June 9) Anthony Doerr impressed me with his beautiful writing in "All The Light We Cannot See," and I bought this book without even reading the summary based on the strength of that book. "About Grace" was off to a very...
